Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Bait the Hook to Suit the Fish. Don't use Wasabi!
I was invited on a fishing trip and figured, I haven’t been adventurous in awhile, so I accepted. Standing in my walk-in closet staring at Coach Purses, Rock and Republic Jeans, and my Valentino Sunglasses I wondered what I was thinking in accepting this invitation—I have nothing to wear! I managed to find some old Guess Jeans at the bottom of my drawer, a sweatshirt, and a couple of t-shirts to sustain my fishing weekend. I also took a pair of heels…just in case.
Holding the hook, I asked, “what do I put on it?” My girlfriend replies, “what the fish wants,” and pulls out a wriggling worm—yuck! “Can’t I put the hook in the water bare like this fall season’s fashion trends?” I was not going to touch that slimy worm. My girlfriend then says to me, “you can, and you may snag something, but your chances of attracting a fish increase greatly if you lure them with what they want.” Ah (chandelier bulb), at that time, I had a hankering for sushi but I wasn’t going to put some wasabi on the hook because that’s not going to attract a fish. I thought this is what I try to teach my job search clients; you can’t apply for any job, you have to do some research and find out what the employer wants. The dilemma most job seekers face is that they write their resumes for themselves, adding achievements or certifications that they are proud of, but in that the employer takes no interest. Thus, we have to identify our target audience, what they want to see, and how we attract them? When writing your resume, the page is your hook; the content, your bait.
I caught a couple of fish that trip, with the assistance of my friend’s fearlessness of slimy animals, and took home a valuable lesson: Bait the hook to suit the fish. Now, I have to do my research on what a handsome real estate agent with a great car and an excellent physique wants.
Happy job shopping!
Holding the hook, I asked, “what do I put on it?” My girlfriend replies, “what the fish wants,” and pulls out a wriggling worm—yuck! “Can’t I put the hook in the water bare like this fall season’s fashion trends?” I was not going to touch that slimy worm. My girlfriend then says to me, “you can, and you may snag something, but your chances of attracting a fish increase greatly if you lure them with what they want.” Ah (chandelier bulb), at that time, I had a hankering for sushi but I wasn’t going to put some wasabi on the hook because that’s not going to attract a fish. I thought this is what I try to teach my job search clients; you can’t apply for any job, you have to do some research and find out what the employer wants. The dilemma most job seekers face is that they write their resumes for themselves, adding achievements or certifications that they are proud of, but in that the employer takes no interest. Thus, we have to identify our target audience, what they want to see, and how we attract them? When writing your resume, the page is your hook; the content, your bait.
I caught a couple of fish that trip, with the assistance of my friend’s fearlessness of slimy animals, and took home a valuable lesson: Bait the hook to suit the fish. Now, I have to do my research on what a handsome real estate agent with a great car and an excellent physique wants.
Happy job shopping!
Monday, July 4, 2011
This is the Year to Meet Your Soul…..Job?
Ladies, have you ever used a dating site to meet your soul mate? I can’t count the number of individuals I know who have found the love of their life by utilizing a dating site. I suppose it makes sense as dating sites work at matching up individuals with similar likes, interests, values, personality traits, etc. When the successful matches are high in numbers, it makes me wonder why we don’t employ the same theories in our job search. If you discover an available job in a company whose interests, culture, and values align with your own, you may have found your perfect match. You may have found your…soul job, in other words. Ah, love is grand.
When evaluating a potential employer, do your research. Go to the company’s website and click on the “About Us” section. Often times this section will contain the company’s mission statement, vision statement, and values. Perhaps you may set up an informational interview to discuss how the company will advance in the future, what the employer likes about working there, and how the hiring manager began working for the company. It could be like your first date to see if you would like to continue the relationship. When getting into the field of career development, I conducted three informational interviews with companies for whom I thought I might like to work. Wouldn’t you know, all three companies contacted me within the next three months to offer me an interview. Luckily, I found my soul job…we’ve been in love ever since.
Happy job shopping!
When evaluating a potential employer, do your research. Go to the company’s website and click on the “About Us” section. Often times this section will contain the company’s mission statement, vision statement, and values. Perhaps you may set up an informational interview to discuss how the company will advance in the future, what the employer likes about working there, and how the hiring manager began working for the company. It could be like your first date to see if you would like to continue the relationship. When getting into the field of career development, I conducted three informational interviews with companies for whom I thought I might like to work. Wouldn’t you know, all three companies contacted me within the next three months to offer me an interview. Luckily, I found my soul job…we’ve been in love ever since.
Happy job shopping!
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